Swiss Health Care Thrives Without Public Option.

[elleng]

Like every other country in Europe, Switzerland guarantees health care for all its citizens. But the system here does not remotely resemble the model of bureaucratic, socialized medicine often cited by opponents of universal coverage in the United States.

Swiss private insurers are required to offer coverage to all citizens, regardless of age or medical history. And those people, in turn, are obligated to buy health insurance.

That is why many academics who have studied the Swiss health care system have pointed to this Alpine nation of about 7.5 million as a model that delivers much of what Washington is aiming to accomplish — without the contentious option of a government-run health insurance plan.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/01/health/policy/01swiss.html?hp

[virgogal]

1. Lou Dobbs covered this about a month ago. Quite interesting.

[MarjorieG]

2. Most other countries understand and abide by strict regulation, not as Wall St traded

carnivores, with disgusting profits.

[bbrady42]

3. But Swiss health insurance companies are non-profit

I'd gladly give up the public option if all our health insurance companies would become non-profit institutions like the Swiss ones are.

[ipaint]

4. Our insurance industry will never allow it. That's why they need to go.

"To compete in the market for compulsory health insurance, a Swiss health insurer must be registered with the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, which regulates health insurance under the 1994 statute. The insurers were not allowed to earn profits from the mandated benefit package, although they have always been able to profit from the sale of actuarially priced supplementary benefits (mainly superior amenities).
Regulations require "a 25-year-old and an 80-year-old individual pay a given insurer the same premium for the same type of policy..Overall, then, the Swiss health system is a variant of the highly government-regulated social insurance systems of Europe..that rely on ostensibly private, nonprofit health insurers that also are subject to uniform fee schedules and myriad government regulations."<1>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Switzerland

That doesn't look at all like what is coming out of congress.

[elleng]

6. Interesting that

'insurers were not allowed to earn profits from the mandated benefit package, although they have always been able to profit from the sale of actuarially priced supplementary benefits .'

Would work here 'IF' we could get it through, and as we know, that's a BIG IF! BUT hard for any to complain about 'those dam Swiss!'

edit: sure doesn't look like what's coming out, but could be 'easier' to get out.

[PSPS]

5. The swiss model is another worthwhile example

The reasons it works are nothing new and closely resemble medicare for all. It's just that they let private companies run it. But it works for the same reasons:

1. The risk pool is the entire nation (compulsory enrollment.)
2. The insurance companies are non-profit.
3. Coverage is guaranteed regardless of age or medical condition.

This would work here too except the republicans won't allow it. Why? Because it interferes with their money-laundering scheme which consists of profit-making insurance companies gouging its policy holders, denying claims, pocketing billions in profits and funneling a portion of those profits back as bribes "campaign contributions."

The democrats could put such a plan together but, as we know, the GOP won't vote for anything at all that's introduced by any democrat.

The only shortcoming with such a system is that the cost for coverage wouldn't be as graduated according to income as it should be if it were implemented as-is in the US. That's less of a problem in Switzerland because they don't have the vast disparity in incomes that our plutocracy has.

[phasma ex machina]

7. Yet another reason to admire the Confoederatio Helvetica.

[Blue_Tires]

8. hell, that would work, too

cover everyone, subsidies to keep costs down for the people, prices for services HEAVILY regulated and cost-controlled, and insurers are nonprofit...